


In The Time It Takes

by blurryxvessel



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Anxiety, Crush at First Sight, Early Mornings, Elevators, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Insomnia, Light Angst, M/M, Trapped In Elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 15:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8290324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blurryxvessel/pseuds/blurryxvessel
Summary: It's 3 am on a Saturday and Josh is just getting back to his apartment





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [allisonargentie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/allisonargentie/gifts).



> This is for my irl she's the best and always says my fics are great 
> 
> I got the idea for this from a tumblr prompt and I also couldn't think of a title so sorry it sucks

  
It's 3 am on a Saturday and Josh is just getting back to his apartment, having been out all night with friends. As he rounds the corner, turning onto west avenue where his apartment building is located, he really wishes he'd brought a jacket. A tank top and ripped skinny jeans aren't the best thing to be wearing when it's November and below 40° out at night. He practically runs up to the door of his apartment building, pulling open the door and stepping inside, shivering from the drastic temperature change. The warmth feels good on his skin and he sighs contentedly as he walks towards the elevator located in the lobby. Upon further inspection he realizes that there's someone in the elevator already.

"Hold the elevator please!," He shouts to the boy, now jogging over to it.

"Thanks." He says, looking over at the boy across from him.

The boy nods before speaking, "what floor?"

"Oh, Uh, three. Thanks." Josh replies, smiling to himself at the sound of the boy's soft quiet voice.

The boy nods again and presses his own floor and Josh's before looking down at his feet.

Josh frowns looking at the numbers lit up on the wall of the elevator. No wonder he's never met this boy. He's on the third floor while the boy is on the fifth floor. They've never crossed paths before and Josh doesn't think he'd forget someone as beautiful as this boy if he'd met them before. He’s jolted out of his thoughts when he hears a loud screeching before the elevator stops with a loud thud. They're only on level two and Josh can't help but feel like him and this boy are now trapped in the elevator. He hears footsteps and looks up to see that the boy is pacing back and forth, with his hands shoved into his pockets. Josh slowly walks over to the control panel and presses the emergency button, hoping the elevator will start moving soon, or someone will come get them. As he goes back to where he previously was standing, the lights suddenly go out. The boy lets out a whimper and Josh sighs. He hears the boy sit down near the control panel where he'd been pacing, and he does the same, sliding down the wall until he’s on the floor of the elevator. He rests his head back on the wall, trying to stay calm hoping he and this boy will be out of here soon. Josh pops his head up at the sound of muffled, heavy breathing and he sighs sadly. He wishes he could see the boy, as he was wondering if he's okay.

"You're okay, dude." Josh says to the boy, trying to keep calm. He slowly scoots over closer to where the boy sat, opposite of him on the wall. "My name's Josh. What's yours?" He decides to try and help the boy by distracting him from the situation at hand.

"Tyler." The boy breathes out.

Josh never wants to forget Tyler. He wants to know him and never stop knowing him.

"So, I live on floor three. And you live on floor five I'm assuming?" Josh asks, hoping Tyler will keep talking to him.

"Yeah." Tyler breathes out, before swallowing hard.

"Try and take deep breaths, okay?" Josh says quietly, trying his best to sound calming.

"Why, are you, helping, me?" Tyler asks in between breaths.

"Cause, I know what it's like to not be able to breathe. I have panic attacks a lot, and I know they suck." Josh replies honestly.

"Yeah." Tyler says, breathing more calmed than earlier.

"You mind if I sit next to you" Tyler says a few moments later.

Josh's eyes go wide and he grins so big he thinks maybe his face will fall off. He clears his throat trying to not sound too excited, even though he is. "Um, yeah, that's fine." He hopes Tyler didn't hear the smile in his voice.

"Uh, I can't see. Where are you exactly?" Tyler laughs a little.

Josh almost melts into the floor of the elevator at the sound of Tyler's laugh. It's sweet like candy and Josh thinks he's falling in love.

Josh takes both hands and reaches out in front of him in an attempt to find Tyler. "I stuck out my hand can you see it?" He says to Tyler, grinning the whole time.

"Um.. yeah, I think so." Tyler says as he searches for Josh's hand in the dark.

Josh feels something brush against his hand and he grabs onto it. "Found you." He laughs a little. Tyler pulls Josh towards him and Josh giggles at the quick motion.

Tyler brings his knees up to his chest as Josh lets go of his hand. He searches for Josh's hand again and holds it tightly when he finds it. "Josh, i'm scared." He says despondently.

"I know Tyler, I am too." Josh says, sighing sadly while smiling at the fact that he and Tyler are currently holding hands.

"We're gonna be okay. We'll be out of here soon." Josh tries to sound optimistic, but he doesn't know how well that came across in his voice.

Time passes by with both Josh and Tyler having no idea what time it is, considering their phones died hours ago, so they've just been talking to pass the time. Turns out they have a lot in common and Josh is elated.

"So, you write music?" Josh asks, sounding intrigued.

"Yeah, no one's ever heard it except maybe my mom or something." Tyler says, sounding almost self-deprecating.

"I'm sure it's great. Love to hear it sometime." Josh blurts out almost automatically.

Tyler smiles and he wonders if Josh can hear it.

"Did I get you to smile just now?" Josh asks abruptly.

"Maybe." Tyler chuckles.

Josh chuckles and slumps down further on the wall.

"So, I never asked. What brings you to the elevator at 3am?" Tyler asks, sitting up a little bit.

"Oh, uh, I was hanging out with some friends, lost track of time, ya know."

Tyler nods in understanding before realizing Josh can't see him. "Uh, yeah."

"So what are you doing up at 3am?" Josh asks in the same manner.

Tyler feels somewhat diffident hearing Josh's answer, but decides to be truthful, thinking maybe he will understand. "Well I uh," he pauses trying to collect his thoughts, "i uh, I have insomnia, so my mind gets, uh, restless at night, so I'll usually take a walk outside, to try and clear my head or tire myself out enough to be able to sleep. It hardly ever works, but I still do it anyways." He finishes, fidgeting nervously.

Josh stays silent for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say. Tyler worries silently, hoping Josh doesn't think any differently of him.

Josh places his hand on Tyler's shoulder. "I understand." He says in reassurance.

That's all it takes for Tyler to start crying. He covers his face with his sweatshirt sleeves and tries to muffle his cries.

Josh speaks quickly, "Tyler? Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" worry apparent in his voice.

Tyler sniffles loudly and wipes his face with his sleeves.

The sincerity in Josh's voice, saying he understood, makes Tyler emotional. Because most of the people in his life don't really give a shit about his mental health. Or they say they care, but they don't give him the time of day. It feels like Josh actually cares, that he wants to know how Tyler is doing, and that makes Tyler emotional because he hasn't had an interaction like this in months.

He clears his throat before attempting to speak, "Um, yeah, I'm fine. You didn't do anything, I'm okay. promise.”

"Tyler." Josh says sadly.

Before Tyler can form his thoughts into a coherent sentence to say them out loud, he feels Josh wrapping his arms around him into a hug. It's soft and warm and Tyler wonders how he's survived up to this point in his life without knowing Josh, and he wants to never forget him. He frowns when Josh lets go of him and he sighs, resting his head on Josh's shoulder.

"Wait." Josh says, promoting Tyler to jolt up from his shoulder.

Tyler thinks he's done something wrong and he curses himself mentally. He feels Josh stand up but he makes no move to do the same.

Josh stands up, and drags his hand across the wall until he feels the control panel. He presses the emergency button a few times before returning to his spot on the floor next to Tyler.

Tyler inches closer to Josh, and gently places his head back on his shoulder again. "This okay?" He asks after a moment.

Josh smiles to himself, "of course." He sits there contentedly, not having anything to say, just listening to Tyler breathe softly on his shoulder.

Tyler sighs somewhat contentedly and let's his eyes fall closed.

"Hey, Tyler?" Josh whispers suddenly.

“Hm?” Tyler hums, not bothering to open his eyes.

“You wanna hang out sometime?”  
Josh asks, laughing at himself for asking such a question at this time.

Tyler laughs, “Yeah, I'd love to.”

Josh smiles so wide his face starts to physically hurt.

“I’m apartment 5b.” Tyler adds a moment later.

Josh chuckles, before getting cut off by a yawn.

If Tyler had to guess, he'd says Josh fell asleep within five minutes of yawning, considering barely any time has passed and he can hear soft snores leaving his lips. Tyler remains sitting on the elevator floor, head resting on Josh’s shoulder, as he drifts in and out of consciousness.

 

 

  
Tyler awakens to bright light seeping through his eyelids. He immediately recognizes that the power’s back on and he springs up, shaking Josh awake in the process.

“Josh! Josh! wake up! The powers back on!”

Josh slowly climbs to his feet gripping onto Tyler for support. “Yeah, so what. We’re still stuck in here, and our phones are still dead.” He grumbles groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“So, that means we can press the emergency button and finally get out of here!” Tyler exclaims, staring directly at Josh.

Together in unison, they both lunge for the control panel, hitting the emergency button with both hands. It blinks red three times and Josh has a feeling that they’ll be out of here soon. Tyler takes a step back, and scans the older boy before him. Josh is a lot cuter than he remembers from last night, and he can't believe they’ve never met before. Josh steps back and returns to his spot on the floor, bringing his knees to his chest and letting his head fall into his lap. Tyler loses his balance at the sudden jolt of the elevator and he hears a low hum. “Josh, we’re moving!” He exclaims, looking down excitedly at Josh. Josh raises his arm and gives a thumbs up before letting it drop back down onto his knee. Tyler watches as the number went up on the panel above the doors, and he hears the ding signaling it's stopped at the third floor.

“Well, looks like this is your stop.” He says looking down at Josh

Josh climbs to his feet slowly, barely registering his movements as he steps forward falling into Tyler for a hug.

“Oh,” Tyler says at the sudden embrace, feeling warm again similar to the first hug.

“You’re apartment 4e right?” Josh says groggily, barely audible to Tyler.

Tyler chuckles at the sight of sleepy Josh before him. “Um, no, it's 5b.” He says, remembering how he told him this earlier.

“Bye Tyler,” Josh says as he exits the elevator, hoping he doesn't forget Tyler’s apartment number in the time it takes him to get to his apartment. He walks quickly down the hallway, entering his apartment and scribbling down ‘5b’ on a notepad located on his desk. He kicks off his shoes and practically flops down onto his bed, quickly drifting off once again.

 *** 

Tyler pushes open the door to his apartment after struggling with his keys and heads straight for his fridge. He grabs a redbull and walks over to his keyboard, setting the drink down as he begins playing notes. Although he usually doesn't write songs about particular people, he decides now’s the perfect time to write a new song, and just maybe, it'll be about that special someone he met in the elevator at 3am. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! 
> 
> You can prompt me at @alexxshutup on tumblr


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